1. Thunderbolt against Newcastle United in 2004/05
In my opinion, this goal epitomised everything great about Wayne Rooney. The strike came shortly after an argument with the referee which angered the youngster, and he channelled all the anger into leathering the ball into the opposition’s net.
He used all his might to strike the ball, not caring about precision or placement, it was all about anger and the ball was acting as his punching bag. It’s hard to comprehend he was only 19 at the time, still not a completely polished player, still an up-and-coming project.
In many ways, it was classic Rooney, letting his emotions dictate his play in the best way possible. Even after the goal, his anger didn’t subside, he was still positively seething. This fuelled him for the rest of the game, which United went on to win 2-0.
And while many might say that his bicycle kick against Manchester City meant more, and it did, it was this one against Newcastle United that was the true reflection of him as a player.